WHEREAS, the more than 700 Minnesota cities with populations below 5,000 are ineligible for dedicated Highway User Tax Distribution Fund dollars; and

WHEREAS, city streets are a separate but integral piece of the network of roads supporting movement of people and goods; and

WHEREAS, existing funding mechanisms, such as Municipal State Aid (MSA), property taxes and special assessments, have limited applications, leaving cities under-equipped to address growing needs; and

WHEREAS, city cost participation in state and county highway projects diverts resources from city-owned streets; and

WHEREAS, maintenance costs increase as road systems age, and no city, large or small, is spending enough on roadway capital improvements to maintain a 50-year lifecycle; and

WHEREAS, for every one dollar spent on maintenance, a road authority and therefore taxpayers save seven dollars in repairs; and

WHEREAS, cities need greater resources, including an additional dedicated state funding source for transportation, and flexible policies in order to meet growing demands for street improvements and maintenance.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF MOUNTAIN IRON that the City of Mountain Iron supports an omnibus transportation funding bill that provides additional dedicated state funding for city streets including funding that can be used for non-MSA city street maintenance, construction and reconstruction.